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A review by bea__reads
World After by Susan Ee
5.0
I still feel like I shouldn't rate this a full 5 stars, but I can't help myself. The plot is a bit rushed, in my opinion, and could do with some more fleshing out, but it's not overly complicated or confusing. The story has definitely sucked me in and I cannot wait for the next book. (Spring 2015? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)
I blazed through this book, just as I did Angelfall, particularly because of how much I enjoy Penryn as a narrator. Even in a world that has quickly filled with YA dystopian fiction, a female main character like Penryn is still such a rare treat that I find myself totally enamored by a book that I would otherwise set aside and stop reading (ie. The Maze Runner, which was vaguely interesting, but I couldn't make myself care AT ALL about Thomas, he was SO boring).
Of course, I can easily point to my strong feminist viewpoint as the reason why I fall so hard for narrators like Penryn, who is incredibly strong emotionally, even as the world falls apart, and becomes increasingly more dangerous, around her. She fights for her family first, and for the greater good when she can swing them both, but doesn't discount her own life in the process. She's smart, and though her plans are usually borderline insane, they are carefully planned out to ensure her success. Penryn is a survivor. A warrior. A protector. She will die for those she loves in a heartbeat if given a chance to save them. (I have found this to be a trait that many male main characters try and fail miserably to pull off, instead becoming arrogant and all-powerful in their quest to save their loved ones. It's probably because male characters tend to be written as emotionally stunted until some hot girl comes along in need of saving. Then, wait for it, she SAVES him by opening his eyes to the more important things in life, like love and girly stuff that he was too busy (and manly) to think about. This is her sole purpose. How about NO!)
What's even better is that this series doesn't have a love triangle (unless you want to count Pooky Bear, which is entirely plausible). Instead, we get a weird sort of chemistry between a girl who is out to save her family (and herself, hopefully) and a love-starved angel with a serious moral dilemma. She has no room for love in her life, even if her heart thinks otherwise, and he's got just as many things, including a deeply-rooted prejudice against human/angel relationships, standing in his way. They're a mess and I honestly wouldn't find it weird if nothing ever happened between them. Neither of them is ready. For now, I think it's enough that they're no longer alone in the fight to protect those they have in their charge.
I blazed through this book, just as I did Angelfall, particularly because of how much I enjoy Penryn as a narrator. Even in a world that has quickly filled with YA dystopian fiction, a female main character like Penryn is still such a rare treat that I find myself totally enamored by a book that I would otherwise set aside and stop reading (ie. The Maze Runner, which was vaguely interesting, but I couldn't make myself care AT ALL about Thomas, he was SO boring).
Of course, I can easily point to my strong feminist viewpoint as the reason why I fall so hard for narrators like Penryn, who is incredibly strong emotionally, even as the world falls apart, and becomes increasingly more dangerous, around her. She fights for her family first, and for the greater good when she can swing them both, but doesn't discount her own life in the process. She's smart, and though her plans are usually borderline insane, they are carefully planned out to ensure her success. Penryn is a survivor. A warrior. A protector. She will die for those she loves in a heartbeat if given a chance to save them. (I have found this to be a trait that many male main characters try and fail miserably to pull off, instead becoming arrogant and all-powerful in their quest to save their loved ones. It's probably because male characters tend to be written as emotionally stunted until some hot girl comes along in need of saving. Then, wait for it, she SAVES him by opening his eyes to the more important things in life, like love and girly stuff that he was too busy (and manly) to think about. This is her sole purpose. How about NO!)
What's even better is that this series doesn't have a love triangle (unless you want to count Pooky Bear, which is entirely plausible). Instead, we get a weird sort of chemistry between a girl who is out to save her family (and herself, hopefully) and a love-starved angel with a serious moral dilemma. She has no room for love in her life, even if her heart thinks otherwise, and he's got just as many things, including a deeply-rooted prejudice against human/angel relationships, standing in his way. They're a mess and I honestly wouldn't find it weird if nothing ever happened between them. Neither of them is ready. For now, I think it's enough that they're no longer alone in the fight to protect those they have in their charge.